Christmas Miracles

My 5 month old loves the mistletoe. It hangs on the through way between our living room and den area and has a little gold bell that she never fails to look at when we pass under. I'm not sure if she's come to expect a smooch every time we pass under, but she's always delighted to receive one.

While she's too young to learn about Santa and elves and come to expect magically delivered presents, watching her ooh and aah over our humble decorations really brings me back to the simple joy of the season. I never get tired of watching her marvel at the lights or ornaments that we jingle at her. And although it's been snowing in the northeast, she's infinitely more fascinated by the curtains on the window than the white stuff outside. Future interior decorator?

All of the little discoveries that the new kids in my life make bring back memories that have been buried so deep in my brain. When my daughter sucks on her taggies hippo I can remember the taste and feel of satin versus cotton. When my 3 year old niece kicked the door stop expecting it to bounce back, I remember doing the same to the door stops in my grandmothers apartment and loving the deep "boing" sound they made as it waved back and forth.

I hope this nostalgia also brings understanding. When my baby is a toddler and getting in all sorts of trouble I hope I take the time to remember what it was like discovering the world for the first time.

What's on Netflix

I was really hoping The Lion in Winter was available for streaming. It's a great Christmas movie if you love great acting and medieval history. But alas, its only available on dvd.

Instead I watched Becket, in which a younger Peter O'Toole plays a younger Henry II. It's incredible watching Richard Burton as the archbishop of Canterbury and Peter O'Toole as the king as they duke it out in a classic "church and state" feud in what may be the original "bro-mance". Great acting, medieval history, a great movie to remember Peter O'Toole by.